"I'm not a very strategic person," chef Matt Dillon told the crowd at last week's restaurant development summit at The Triple Door. He was joined on stage by fellow restauratuers Renee Erickson, Tom Douglas, Thierry Rautureau, Rick Yoder and Ethan Stowell. He had just been asked by the moderator, "What's next?" or something equally loaded.

Food & Wine has come out with its list of The People’s Best New Chef 2014 nominees, and the only nod for Seattle comes in the form of Bar Sajor’s Edouardo Jordan. Last year, four local chefs made the cut.

And now, some bakery pop-up news.
First, newcomer Tracy Marcella has left her job as the breakfast chef at the Chelsea Station Inn to helm a new pastry pop-up at Satay in Wallingford. She tells me the partnership started as a friendship between her and the owners.

Derek Ronspies is hosting an offal dinner at his Fremont restaurant Le Petit Cochon next Tuesday (March 25) and he wants us all to get over ourselves when it comes to eating the less popular parts of the animal.
Here are 5 things he wants you to know about the dirty bits.

Finalists for the 2014 James Beard Foundation Awards have been announced, and it’s a pretty good show for Seattle.
But before I present the short-list, let’s talk about why this award is such a big deal. While it may not mean much to the average consumer, this accolade is a huge honor for folks in the industry. Here’s why.

Margaritas are starting to sound really good right now. Not because the sun is starting to peek through the Seattle skies a little more often, but a new Mexican restaurant is on the fast-track to opening in Phinney Ridge.

St. Patrick’s Day is on Monday, and rather than round up the best places to drink beer, we’re going green — with our favorite hued food, that is. We can’t guarantee eating these delicious verdant viands will keep you from getting pinched, but they are so delicious, you won’t even care.
1. Corned lamb salad at Revel

In Seattle Magazine’s ongoing Many Faces of Seattle Neighborhoods, today we draw our attention to the zip code 98118. It’s a zip that encompasses the Rainier Valley, Seward Park and Columbia City. Periodically, I’ll be plucking a zip code and highlighting the best restaurants in the area — or at least ones that are deserving of your attention for whatever reason.

In what is hopefully a sign that hotels, at least the boutique variety, may start bagging traditional room service all together, Miller's Guild is using very non-traditional packaging to deliver order-in.
About two weeks ago, chef Jason Wilson and the crew at Hotel Max unveiled a nifty new room service program without using a single silver domed tray in the process.

It’s been a great run for Eli Dahlin. He’s been the chef de cuisine at Renee Erickson's The Walrus and the Carpenter since it opened back in August 2010 —part of an integral crew that helped catapult the Ballard oyster bar into a nationally recognized restaurant.

Eastlake Teriyaki, the more casual lunchtime offspring of Blind Pig Bistro, served its final meal yesterday. Demolition has officially begun to transform the tiny strip mall storefront into a 23 seat bar that's attached to Blind Pig. It’s been the plan since owners Charles Walpole and Rene Gutierrez took over the space last July.

He left Ray’s on Tuesday and now, after nearly 30 years, chef Wayne Johnson is taking a much needed (and deserved) break from the restaurant industry. And don’t even think about asking him what’s next. He's not planning a damn thing.
I met up for coffee with the completely relaxed and happy looking chef this afternoon near his home in West Seattle. Because, you know, he has time to do that sort of stuff now.